Search - Dairy Herd

Exports of Washington-grown products have reached a new high. From October 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011, the value of Washington-origin farm and seafood products set a record pace.Washington food exports were worth $1.91 billion in the last quarter of 2010, a figure matched in the first quarter of 2011.

Fluctuating milk prices have long made dairyfarming a risky business, and when milk prices crashed in 2002, Chris Lekberg gave up. He sold his cows and bought goats. It turned out to be a wise decision. He now has more than 50 goats, and with growing demand for goat cheese, he gets a steady price for their milk from a nearby cheesemaker. While the big dairy states of Wisconsin and California have the most dairy goats, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the industry is growing in New England as well.

Corn prices fell Friday on concerns about global demand after the government reported a drop in export sales.

The antibiotic-resistant staph has been identified in humans and fresh, unpasteurized cow’s milk.

Farm liability insurance won’t protect against claims if illness results.

New online tools can help Wisconsin farmers know when conditions are right to spread manure on their land

A decade ago, the domestic market for Greek yogurt, a thicker, more protein-laden version of traditional mass-market yogurt, barely existed. Within the past five years, however, it has exploded, and that’s been great news for New York’s dairy farmers. That’s because it can take three pounds of milk to make one pound of yogurt.

OTTAWA -- With rare exceptions, discussions of food policy in Canada are limited to the joys of eating organic and how hard-pressed farmers need more help from the government. What you never hear is this: As a result of rising population and wealth, global demand for food is soaring and the world faces a food crisis unlike anything seen since the 1970s if food production does not grow rapidly. Canada is among the very few nations with the capacity to dramatically boost production.But we’re not. In fact, Canadian agriculture is stagnant. And politicians will not even discuss how we can change that.

MADISON, Wis. Cheryl Skjolaas’ morning routine is something that can either make or ruin her day. Over a cup of coffee, Skjolaas fires up her computer and pores over news from around Wisconsin, hoping that no news is good news .Skjolaas is an agriculture safety specialist for UW-Extension, and each day checks to see if there has been a farm accident somewhere in Wisconsin.

This was supposed to be a big year. Crop prices were up. The weather had cooperated, mostly, in the fall and the spring. Mid-South farmers had their fields ready and were looking to cash in. In fact, a lot of farmers were depending on 2011’s crop to make up for the low prices and bad weather of the past two years. Then the water came.